The 28th annual meeting of the Association of Futures Markets (AFM), hosted by the Taiwan Futures Exchange (TAIFEX), was held at the Taipei Marriott Hotel last week. The meeting brought together representatives from exchanges, financial institutions, market infrastructure and information service providers from Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa.In addition to the US, Europe, and major Asian markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan, the meeting was noteworthy for including representatives from numerous exchanges in Africa and Central Asia, such as South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi and Uzbekistan. The gathering facilitated exchanges on global derivatives market development trends and provided collaborative opportunities, demonstrating AFM’s important function as an international derivatives market exchange.The meeting was opened by AFM chairman Pat Kenny and TAIFEX chairman Wu Tzu-hsin (吳自心), with Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) Vice Chairman Chen Yen-liang (陳彥良) delivering a keynote speech. Wu said it was significant for the TAIFEX to host the AFM annual meeting again after a 15-year hiatus. In addition to helping delegates from around the world gain a deeper understanding of the Taiwanese market, the TAIFEX would continue to promote the development of Taiwan’s derivatives market toward greater resilience, diversification and international competitiveness through international exchanges and cooperation, based on the core principles of “development and innovation” and “financial security,” he said.